Rail cleaning device



May 20, 1952 H. a. FOSTER RAIL CLEANING DEVICE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed April 24. 1950 INVENTOR flar y 6: Rs er ATTORNEYS H. G- FOSTER RAIL CLEANING DEVICE May 20, 1952 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed April 24, 1950 INVENTOR" Hardy 6: E875 ATTORNEY-5 Patented May 20, 1952 uNrrEn STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,591,119 7 nan. CLEANING DEVICE Harry G. Foster, Mullens, W. Va. Aspirant]. April 24, 1950, Serial No. 157,797

This invention relates to improvements in rail cleaning devices adapted for use on locomotives for removing any foreign matter directly from the top of the rail in advance of the locomotive wheel. v

It has been customary to provide for the discharge of sand on the rails in advance of the locomotive drive wheels, to increase traction between the wheels and the rails. However, when snow and ice collect on top of the rails, the sand may be deflected laterally of the rail and fall to the ground without remaining on the rail when the wheel reaches the sanded portion thereof, whereby the sand serves no effective purpose, and is merely 'a loss since it cannot provide the de sired degree of traction. No satisfactory means has been provided heretofore for effectively cleaning the rail surfaces in advance of the traction wheels, to provide the desired degree of traction between the wheels and the rails by the effective use of sand, where required for that purpose.

One object of this invention is to provide for the effective removal of all foreign matter that may accumulate on the rails in advance of the traction wheels, particularly snow, so as to provide a clean surface for the purpose of getting sand directly on top of the rail in position for effective contact between the wheel and rail.

A further object of the invention is to improve the construction of rail cleaning devices to enable such devices to be made very simply and inexpensively, and to be applied in a practical manner to locomotives without interference with the locomotive structure, and especially the truck or under-carriage of the locomotive.

Still another object of the invention is to provide for the removal of snow and ice from a locomotive rail which would interfere with the traction between the wheel and rail, whether or not sand is applied thereto, by melting and removing the snow and ice if it should accumulate on the rail.

These objects may be accomplished by providing for the removal pneumatically, of any accumulation that occurs on the rail by means of high pressure of air directed onto the top of the rail surface in such relation thereto as to clean the surface of snow or other foreign matter that may accumulate thereon, so as to provide for the application of sand directly on top of the rail. A nozzle may be provided and supported in relatively close proximity to the top of the rail and connected with a source of air under high pressure, so as to direct the air downwardly onto the rail in such relation thereto as to discharge :7 Claims. (01. 299-31) cent the nozzle will prevent the freezing of moisture in the air, which may otherwise accumulate as ice on the rail, thereby effectively removing all foreign substances from the rail.

Certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is aside elevation, partly in section, of a portion of a locomotive, showing an application of this invention thereto;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a cross section through the air duct;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section therethrough, showing the nozzle in elevation;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, showing a modification of the invention; and

.Fig. 6 is a similar view, partly in section, showing a further modification thereof.

The invention is shown as applied to a locomotive, generally designated by the numeral l, which may be of any suitable form, either steam, diesel or electric, and which is provided with driving wheels 2 mounted on a track comprising rails 3. Provision is made, ordinarily, for applying sand onto the rails 3 in advance of the traction wheels 2', as by means of a sand pipe 4 extending downwardly directly over the rails in front of the traction wheels.

I have shown hot air ducts at 5 extending downwardly directly over the respective rails 3 in advance of the sand pipe 4 and driving wheels 2.

These air ducts 5 are relatively large pipes, preferably in the form of flexible hose. The ducts 5 are supported by brackets 6 and I located, re-

spectively, on the locomotive under-carriage and on the truck shown, with which the wheels 2 are connected.

At their upper ends the ducts 5 are connected with asuitabIe source of hot air. On modern locomotives there are many points from which such hot air may be obtained, as, for instance, the cooling systems of engines, diesel orelectric motors, etc. Any of such cooling or other air systems may be used as a source of hot air, to be connected with the ducts 5, but I have shown for purpose of illustration an electric motordriven fan, generally designated at 8, provided with a suitable heater or heating means, to supply hot air under relatively low pressure to the ducts. A pressure of between four pounds and five poundsper square inch will be sufficient for this purpose, as an example, without'limitation to such specific pressure. Such hot air directed through th ducts will be discharged at the open lower ends of the latter, directly onto the rails any ice or snow on the rails.

Provision is made also for blowing on. snowand foreign substances from the rails, which .requires much greater pressure than can'be ob"- tained from an ordinary electric motor. However, a source of high pressure air is always avail- .able "on the locomotive, which can be utilized for th-is'purpose.

I' have shown a nozzle, generally designated at 9, extending diametrically across the open lower sure airsufliciently so that the moisture will not condense and freeze on the surfaces of the rails. The nozzle 9 has a straight discharge edge, as

- shown in Figs. 3 and 4, within which the open- 3, and thereby will apply heat sufiicient to melt v.ing or openings 10 are located. This discharge side, preferably, is in relatively close proximity end of the air duct 5, with one or more orifices if] in the nozzle -9 to discharge the air therefrom. The nozzle 9 is connected with the lower end of an airtube ii I that extends upwardly through the air duct 75, preferably to a point near the top thereof, with sufficient extent in the duct for heat exchange between the ;hot air passing through *the duct and the air under pressure passing through the tube 11. :It is preferred to use a heat conducting material, such as copper, for

the construction .of the tube II and the nozzle 9, to secure .an effective heat exchange therebetween, whereby the heat will be transmitted from the air in the duct to the air under pressure in the tube to prevent the freezing of any moisture present in the .air.

At its upper end the tube II is .connected Th nozzle 9 and tube 1 H are secured in fixed relation to the duct in through a side of :the :duct 5 (Fig. 3) With a pipe i3 that extends to asuitable source of air under high pressure, such-as a tank M. A control valve is shown at connected in the pipe l3 in the cab of the locomotive within convenient reach of the engineer.

It will be apparent that upon the opening of the valve I 5, air under high pressure will be discharged through the pipe [3 and tube II. to the nozzle '9, directly onto the rail 3, to remove snowand other foreign matter present on the rail.

The valve may be opened just suflicient to provide for a continuous discharge, when needed, therebyefiectively removing snow and other foreign matter from the rail in advance of the sand applied at 4 in front of the traction wheels 2.

Since it is practically'impossible to keep moisture out of the air held under high pressure of the order of 130 pounds per square inch in the air reservoir M, and to prevent the freezing of this moisture as the air is discharged at the nozzle 9, it is preferred that hot-air be circulated around the nozzle 9 and'tube I I, which is accomplished by the location ofthe nozzle-and tube within the enlarged hot air duct 5 leading from a suitable point of hot air .on the locomotive, such as the fan 8 that has asuitable heating element for the air. .If the ducts 5 are connected with an air cooling system, these :may be left in continuous operation without'reguiring any valve for confrom the air cooling system may be directed toithe-surface. of the rail and extends transversely thereof. However, it may be turned to one side 'orth'e'o'ther of the rail, as indicated in dotted linesin Fig. 3, so as to direct the discharge either to one side or the other of the rail to deflect the snowor. other foreign matter therefrom in .either direction, as desired. This maybe accomplishedby loosening theclamps Band I and rotating the ducts 5 to thedesired extent.

A modification of the invention is shown in Fig.5, in which the source of hot air to the .duct 5a is provided by an air =scoop, generally indicated at [6, .in open communication with the .air duct and extending through or in heat exchange relation with the valve chest 11 of a steam locomotive cylinder, generally indicated at 18. In this way, the air entering the front end .of the air scoop 16 will be heated in passing through the scoop and be directed immediately into the upper end of the air duct 5a sufficiently to serve thefpurpose described above as it passes downward through the air-duct. Otherwise, this form of the invention functions in the same manner and for the purpose described above.

A further modification is shown in Fig. 6, in

Y which the air duct is shown at 51) connected with an air scoop 19 open toward the forward end of the locomotive. In this form, however, aheating coil is .shown at ,20 within the vair scoop J9 and may be connected with a suitable source of .hot fluid, such-as steam, that is available on the locomotive. This heating coil 20 will .therebyheat the air passing through the air scoop 1.9 before it is -discharged through the air'duct 5b.

Inboth forms illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the air under high pressure is connected witha nozzle mounted within the open lowerendof theairduct 5a or 5b, as describedabove, functioning to rewithout departing from .the invention, except as specified in the claims.

I claim: 1. A track cleaner mounted on a vehicle .run-

. ning on track rails .comprisingmeans for directing a stream .ofair under high pressure onto a track rail, .and flexible tubular means continuously"di.recting air under lowpressure'to the rail adjacent the stream of 'highpressure air.

2. A track cleaner mounted on a vehicle running on tracks comprising a nozzle, a tube connected with the nozzle, and a-fiexible conduit'sur- .rounding'the nozzle and tube, said tube being connected with a source of air under high pressure, said nozzle being directed toward said tracks and the conduit being connected with a source of heated air under low pressure.

3. A track cleaner of the character described comprising a nozzle. a tube connected with the nozzle, a flexible conduit surrounding the nozzle and tube, said tube extending lengthwise through the conduit, clamps securing thetube to a side of the conduit, and means mounting the conduit for turning movement of the nozzle relative to the rail to different positions with respect thereto.

4. A track cleaner of the character described comprising a nozzle, a tube connected with the nozzle, a flexible conduit surrounding the nozzle and tube, said nozzle being elongated transversely of the conduit, and means mounting the conduit for turning movement of the nozzle relative to the rail to different positions with respect thereto.

5. A track cleaner of the character described, comprising an enlarged fiexibleconduit having an open lower end, means mounting the conduit in upright position adapted to be disposed over a rail with said open end in close proximity thereto, a tube extending through the conduit and having a nozzle thereon adjacent the open end of the conduit, said conduit and tube being adapted to be connected with different fluids to be directed thereby onto the rail, and means mounting the conduit for turning movement of said nozzle relative to said rail to difierent positions with respect thereto.

6. A track cleaner of the character described, comprising an enlarged flexible conduit having an open lower end, means mounting the conduit in upright position adapted to be disposed over a rail with said open end in close proximity thereto, a tube extending through the conduit and having a nozzle thereon adjacent the open end of the conduit, a source of high pressure air connected with the tube, a continuous source of heated air under low pressure connected with the conduit, and means mounting the conduit for turning movement of said nozzle relative to said rail to different positions with respect thereto.

7. A track cleaner of the type described, comprising an enlarged, elongated conduit having an open end, said conduit having its other end con- 1 nected with a continuous source of heated air under low pressure, an elongated tubular metallic element disposed within said conduit, means mounting said conduit for turning movement of said nozzle relative to said rail to different positions with respect thereto, said tubular element having a metallic nozzle at one of its ends and disposed adjacent said open end of said conduit, said conduit surrounding said nozzle, said tubular element having its other end connected with a source of air under high pressure, whereby a continuous heat exchange occurs between said heated air under low pressure in said conduit and said air under high pressure in said tubular element and said nozzle.

HARRY G. FOSTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Ofeldt May 8, 1934 

